Albania’s real estate sales surge nearly 39% in 2Q2026

Real estate recorded the strongest growth in sales among Albania’s service-sector activities in the second quarter of 2026, while tourism-related businesses also continued to expand at a strong pace, data from the National Institute of Statistics (INSTAT) showed.

The net sales volume index for real estate rose 38.9% year-on-year, the largest increase among the service activities covered by the survey, CE Report quotes ATA.

Within tourism, hotels recorded a 22% increase in sales, while bars and restaurants grew 8.7%. Travel agencies, however, saw sales fall 5.4%.

Transport, storage and postal services recorded 19.1% growth, while insurance activities increased 8.9%. Wholesale and retail trade, along with the repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles, grew 6%.

Some service activities recorded declines. The sales index fell 5.3% in legal and accounting services, 6% in office administration and support services, and 0.6% in information and communication.

The expansion in activity was also reflected in employment, particularly in real estate and hotels. The employment index rose 26.6% in real estate and 11.5% in hotels.

Employment also increased in transport, storage and postal services, by 5.7%, and in trade, by 5.6%. Employment in bars and restaurants rose 2.2%.

Some activities, however, recorded declines in employment. The sharpest fall was in office administration and support services, at 12.1%, while insurance activities recorded a 3.5% decline.

INSTAT publishes short-term service-sector statistics as an indicator of economic activity across various sectors, covering trends in sales, employment and other developments in service activities.

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